Cut-off for a bag filler



July 3, 1934- N. E. DORRINGTON 1,954,935

CUT-OFF FOR A BAG FILLER Filed May 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l O' B)l S C3 29 2 35 Q n Munn' EN: /f\\\\\\\ 54 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 1929 July 3, 1934. N. E. DoRRlNGToN CUT*OFF FOR A BAG FILLER Filed May 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y Vm WT Patented July 3, 1934 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUT-OFF FOR A BAG FILLER.

poration of New York Application May 23, 1929, Serial No. 365,363

13 Claims.

This application relates to a cut-off for a bag filler and more specifically it relates to a gate for closing the discharge opening of a bag filler and automatic means, responsive to the weight of material discharged into a container, for closing the gate. The object of the invention is to provide a gate which closes quickly and certainly and encounters comparatively little resistance from the material during its closing operation, and automatic means for closing the gate which may be tripped by a weighing device with very little interference with the weighing operation, and that will act promptly upon the gate. Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of one embodiment of my invention, indicating sufficient parts of a filling and weighing device to disclose the manner in which it is combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in a different relation; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing an elevation of the gate and discharge plate in which it slides, with the spout beyond the gate removed; Fig. 4 is a detail of a slightly modified form of trip; Fig. 5 is a detail disclosing an intermediate position of the gate `and bag-supporting device; Fig. 6 is a detail section substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail view substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a filling and weighing device of a well known type. This device comprises a casing 10 which receives material from a hopper 11. A centrifugal propeller 12 having blades 13 is mounted upon a shaft 14 within the casing. The casing is provided with an outlet opening 15 through which the propeller is adapted to force the material. The face of casing 10 surrounding opening 15 is provided with a slot or slideway 16 in which there slides a gate 17 having a sharpened edge 18. Fitting over the face of casing 10 around slot 16 there is a casting 19 provided with an opening 20 fixed in position so that it registers with opening 15. The upper side of passage 20 is provided with a notch 21 immediately in front of slideway 16.

In front of casting 19 there is arranged a frame 22 mounted upon a suitable weighing device, which may comprise a scale beam, indicated at A. Frame 22 carries a member 23 adapted to move adjacent the face of casting 19. Member 23 carries a spout 24 adapted to enter the valve of a bag 25. The upper end of frame 22 is provided with a guide pin 26 adapted to enter a slot 26' in the end of a guide link 27 mounted at 28 upon a casting 29 which is slidable upon a bracket 30. Member 29 may be secured in position upon bracket 30 by a bolt 31, and when bolt 31 is loosened the member may be moved to adjusted position on bracket 30 by means of a set screw 32 passing through a lug 33 on bracket 30. By this adjustment frame 22 is held so that member 23 is in close proximity to casting 19, but is free to move vertically with respect thereto. Link 27 may be allowed to rest on pin 26, but in the preferred construction, link 27 is held rigidly in position and pin 26 moves vertically in guide slot 26.

The lower end of gate 17 is pivoted at 35 to a carrier 36, the upper end of which is provided with a pin 37. A spring 38 stretches between pin 37 and a pin 39 mounted on the fixed frame of the machine, and normally tends to move the gate carrier in gate-closing direction.

Pin 37 passes through the lower end of a lever 40 fulcrumed at 41 on the fixed frame. The upper end of the lever carries a wear plate 42 adapted to contact a wear plate 43 on a trip member 44 pivoted at 45 on the fixed frame. The other end 46 of trip 44 extends forward into close proximity to movable frame 22, and is adapted to rub on a wear plate 47 on a trigger 48 which is provided on pin.39.

To a cross piece 49, between vertical members of frame 22, there is fastened a bracket 50 carrying a pin 5l. Springs 52 stretch between pin 51 and a pin 53 extending through the forward end of trigger 48. Pivoted on pin 51 there is a stop member 54 having a forked lower end 55 straddling pin 53. In this way pin 53 is held yieldingly against stop 54 and thereby moves the outer or front end of trigger 48 up and down with frame 22.

An alternative structure for the trigger member is disclosed in Fig. 4. As shown in this figure, the trigger 48a mounted on pin 39 operates in a similar manner to trigger 48, but with slight modifications. On cross piece 49 there is mounted a bracket 56. by means of a bolt 57. Bracket 56 has an out-turned end 58 adapted to contact a set screw 59 through trigger 48, the trigger being normally held up against end 58 by means of a spring 60 connecting the trigger with a pin 61 mounted on a fixed part of the frame.

A handle 62 is pivoted at 63 on the fixed frame, and is normally supported in raised position by a spring 64, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower side of this handle carries a roller 65 adapted to contact a wear plate 66 on lever 40 when the handle is lowered, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to reduce jar and noise, lever 40 may be provided with a plate 67 adapted to Contact a pad 68 when moved in gate-closing direction, and a plate 69 may be provided upon handle 62 for contacting pad 70 when the handle is raised by spring 64.

When trigger 44 is moved to its releasing position, its projecting end 71 may Contact a pad 72, and when lever 40 is moved to gate-opening position, its end contacts a cam -surface 73 on trigger 44 and, where the operation is quickly performed, may raise the forward end of the trigger against a pad 74.

A bag clamp 75 is pivoted at 76 on frame 22 and is adapted to clamp bag 77 on `lilling tube 24. Clamp 75 carries a projection 78 in position to be contacted by a lug 79 on lever` 40 when the lever moves to gate-closing position, so as to swing the clamp to releasing position.

The operation of the above described device is as follows, With the gate closed and handle 62 raised, as indicated in'Fig. 2, but with the frame 22 also raised, as indicated in Fig. l, a bag 77 is placed upon filling tube 24. Thereafter, handle 62 is depressed to the position in which it is shown in Fig. l. During this depression of the handle, roller 65 contacts plate 66 and depresses the iorward end oi lever 40, carrying the upper end to the right, as viewed in the drawings, until it contacts cam surface '73 on trigger 44 and raises the forward end 46 oi the trigger above wear plate 47. Spring 52 or 60, as the case may be, yields to allow the upward passage of end 46. Ii the operation is performed quickly, the trigger may be thrown up against pad 74, but when the handle is released, 'the lever moves in the opposite direction until contact o wear plates 42 and 43 lowers end 46 onto wear plate 47. During the downward movement ci the outer end of lever 40, lug 79 is moved away from beneath projection 78 so as to allow clamp 75 to swing down into clamping position on the bag. When the handle is released, it is returned idly by spring 64 until plate 69 rests against pad 70.

It will be readily understood that when lever 40 is oscillated in the manner described, frame 36 carries gate 17 downward so as to open the passage from the propeller through the spout into the bag. Material is thereupon fed into the bag until the weighing device responds to the increased weight of material in the bag and frame 22 lowers suficiently so that end 46 slips off of wear plate 47. When this occurs, spring 38 raises the outer end of lever 40, trip member 44 being oscillated until wear plate 43 is raised above wear plate 42. This gate closing continues until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2, with plate 67 resting upon pad 68. As a usual thing, this will result in the oscillation of trip member 44 so rapidly and far that its end 71 will be carried up against pad "12.

As the gate is raised by this movement of lever 40 in response to the contraction of spring 38, the sharpened edge 18 readily moves through the material and separates that within the casing 10 from that within the spout. It will be noted that the upper edge of the gate is moving diagonally in the direction of movement of the material, which lessens the resistance of the material thereto and facilitates the rapid closing of the gate. Furthermore, it will be noted that spout 24 is somewhat lower with respect to outlet 20 at the time trip 44 is released. This relation is indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, although it will be understood that the amount of lowering of frame 22 and spout 24 before closing action takes place may be varied within considerable limits by proper adjustment. However, it will be seen that this lowering of spout 25 tends to shut off the flow of material through the upper part of passage 20. When trip 44 is released and lever 40 begins to oscillate, the first movement of the gate closes the lower side of passage 20. The upper side of passage 20 being partially blocked by the lowering of spout 24, it will be readily seen that, with the amount of drop indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, the direct passage of material from the propeller into spout 24 is blocked by the time the gate is approximately half closed. Attention is called to this fact because it creates a substantial advantage in moving the gate upward rather than downward to close the outlet, because the substantial cutting oi of the iiow occurs much more promptly and the iinal closing of the gate is through material which is not flowing in a direct line through spout 24 and therefore is moving at a comparatively slow rate.

The parts are so arranged that the sharpened edge 18 cuts against the face of the casing. Cutaway notch 2l allows the material to fall, or be crowded down by the beveled end of the gate, into passage 20, so that there is no clogging of the notch and blocking of the upward movement of the gate. The movement is stopped by contact of plate 67 and pad 68 before the upper end of the gate contacts the end of the slot in which it moves.

During this upward movement of the gate, lug 79 contacts projection 78 and swings clamp 75 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, thereby releasing the filled bag, which is thereupon removed. After the removal of the bag, the weighing device returns frame 22 to its upward position in which spout 24 registers with passage 20, and a new bag may be placed thereon and the operation repeated.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in some detail, it will be readily understood that modications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is;

1. In bag lling apparatus, a substantially horizontal spout adapted to deliver material through a bag valve into a bag, a propeller adapted to urge material into and through the spout, and a gate movable diagonally across the spout between its ends to close the same, the edge of the gate being directed so as to move diagonally forward with material passing through the spout during closing movement oiv the gate.

2. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially horizontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a Weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, and a gate movable upwardly across the passage to close the same.

3. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially horizontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a Weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, and a gate movable upward and diagonally forward across the passage to close the same.

4. In bag lling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially horizontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, and a gate movable upwardly across the passage to close the same, there being a notch in the upper side of said passage adapted to receive the upper end of the gate.

5. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially hori- Zontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, and a gate movable upwardly across the passage to close the same, there being a notch in the upper side of said passage adapted to receive the upper end of the gate, the upper end of the gate being adapted to contact the rear side of the notch and the forward side of the notch being relieved to allow material to drop therefrom.

6. In bag filling apparatus, a delivery device having a substantially horizontal delivery passage, a frame mounted on a weighing device and carrying a spout adapted to register with said passage and movable downward in response to weight of material discharged through the spout, and a gate movable upward and diagonally forward across the spout to close the same, there being a notch in the upper side of the passage, the rear side of the notch slanting so as to be contacted by the rear face of the gate and the forward side of the notch slanting downward and forward and the upper end of the gate having a sharpened edge at its rear side and beveled off on its forward side.

7. In bag filling apparatus, a spout adapted to deliver material into a bag, a propeller adapted to urge material into and through the spout, a gate movable diagonally across the spout to close the same, the edge of the gate being directed so as to move diagonally forward with materia) passing through the spout during closing movement of the gate, means for supporting a receiving receptacle upon a weighing device, means for closing the gate, and a trip device dependent upon the action of said weighing device for initiating the gate-closing action of the gate-closing means.

8. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially horizontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, a gate movable upwardly across the passage to close the same, means for closing the gate, and a trip device dependent upon the downward movement of the frame for initiating the action of the trip device.

9. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially hori- -zontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, a gate movable upward and diagonally forward across the passage to close the same, means for closing the gate, and a trip device dependent upon the downward movement of the frame for initiating the action of the trip device.

10. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially hori zontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, a gate movable across the passage to close the saine, there being a notch in the upper side of said passage adapted to receive the upper end of the gate, means for closing the gate,

` and a trip device dependent upon the downward movement of the frame for initiating the action of the trip device.

l1. In bag filling and weighing apparatus, a discharging device having a substantially horizontal discharge passage, a frame mounted on a weighing machine and carrying a spout adapted to register with said discharge passage, said frame being movable downward in response to the weight of material discharged through said passage and spout, a gate movable upwardly across the passage to close the same, there being a notch in the upper side of said passage adapted to receive the upper end of the gate, the upper end of the gate being adapted to contact the rear side of the notch and the forward side of the notch being relieved to allow material to drop therefrom, means for closing the gate, and a trip device dependent upon the downward movement of the frame for initiating the action of the trip device.

12. In bag filling apparatus, a delivery device having a substantially horizontal delivery passage, a frame mounted on a weighing device and carrying a spout adapted to register with said passage and movable downward in response to weight of material discharged through the spout, a gate movable upward and diagonally forward across the spout to close the same, there being a notch in the upper side of the passage, the rear side of the notch. slanting so as to be contacted by the rear face of the gate and the forward side of the notch slanting downward and forward and the upper end of the gate having a sharpened edge at its rear side and beveled off on its forward side, means for closing the gate, and a trip device dependent upon the downward movement 130 of the frame for initiating the action of the trip device.

13. In a bag filling machine, a container, a spout radiating from the container, a weighing scale having its load holder positioned to support 135 a bag, the mouth of which is fitted over the spout, a member movable to position to open the spout, means yieldably urging the member upwardly to position to close the spout, a datent for holding the member against upward movement, means actuated by movement of the scale load holder for rendering the detent inactive, and manually operable means for restoring the member to its lowered position.

NEILL E. DORRINGTON. 

